Lee Daniels, creator of the hit show Empire, is an avid supporter of breaking down boundaries, particularly in hip-hop.

As exemplified by the cultural ground he’s covered through the plotline of the show, particularly through the lens of characters like hip-hop mogul Lucious Lyon and his son Jamal (an aspiring musician who is openly gay), Daniels feels as though the example set on his show will soon transpire fully in real life.

During a brief interaction with TMZ, the reputed director responded to a series of questions, expressing that he feels a gay rapper will be dominating the charts “sooner than you think.”

“It’d be nice, wouldn’t it?” Daniels responds, after being asked if a gay rapper will go platinum soon.

“No, I think we’re shook,” he said, after being asked if hip-hop is still too far behind when it comes to accepting all varieties of sexual orientation. “I think America is shook finally.”

When asked when exactly a rapper who identifies as gay will go platinum, Daniels responded, “I think sooner than you think. I think now.”